Competition Archives

The European Parliament's rapporteur of a key telecom file proposed abolishing fees for intra-EU calls, and further harmonising provisions on broadband rollout.

France will invest more money into artificial intelligence (AI) and green technologies to counter China and US dominance, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday (14 June), detailing his strategic vision.

As standard measures to fight inflation prove unpopular among left-leaning politicians, they are betting their hopes on competition policy to help to bring down prices, but experts warn not to overburden competition policy with political priorities.

A majority of lawmakers in the European Parliament voted in favour of a resolution backing up the senders-pay principles during a plenary vote.

The European Commission approved French multimedia conglomerate Vivendi's acquisition of publisher Lagardère, with some conditions to prevent market concentration.

Negotiators of EU member state governments severely cut the provisions of the Single Market Emergency Instrument (SMEI) down to size compared to the ambitions that the EU Commission had for the regulation.

The new European Sovereignty Fund, expected to finance multi-country projects of European importance for the green transition, is key to the Commission's game plan to counter foreign subsidies. Yet days before its expected proposal, some query if it is already falling short.

ECB President Christine Lagarde acknowledged the role of increased corporate profits in worsening inflation, calling for better data on corporate profits and closer scrutiny from competition authorities.

French MPs and senators overcame their disagreements on the bill aimed at regulating commercial influence and combating abuses on social media on Thursday (25 May), with the text heading to a final vote next week.

At the Competitiveness Council (COMPET) on Monday, France will defend the extension of bans on the destruction of textile products, sectoral targets on critical raw materials, and the full inclusion of nuclear power in the EU's green industry text.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck's plans to subsidise electricity for energy-intensive companies to help them with increasing costs have prompted criticism from EU Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager.

Spanish sovereign assets in London, including the country’s cultural institute premises and its bank accounts and the Catalan government’s embassy building, may be seized as part of a World Bank international arbitration decision against Spain, which faces claims worth €2 …

The German government proposed a draft law on Wednesday (5 April) to give its competition authority more powers to tackle interferences with competition, following allegations that petrol stations had artificially kept fuel prices high in 2022.

The European Commission raided the Austrian-based energy drink producer Red Bull on suspicion of illegal collusion and violation of EU antitrust rules. On Monday, the Commission conducted unannounced house searches at the premises of Red Bull, the world’s largest energy drink …

Joint borrowing is currently not an option to help member states finance the green transition, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said on Monday (13 March), marking a shift from previous calls for 'mutualised tools' at the European level.

The EU’s Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF), which allows member states to subsidise sustainable technologies, is welcomed by advocates for green industrial policy - but some NGOs fear it will be counterproductive for the environment and SMEs.

According to a leaked draft proposal seen by EURACTIV, the European Commission's Net-Zero Industry Act may include measures to deter foreign clean tech products, similar to the domestic content requirements of the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Europe’s green subsidy splurge risks increasing market concentration through capture by large corporations. The EU must seek to ensure that its relaxed state aid framework benefit a wide set of companies, not just big business, argues Max von Thun. Max von …

As the EU sets up its response to the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), French industry minister Roland Lescure told EURACTIV that Europe is on the cusp of a “new green industrial revolution” – if only governments are ready to spend the necessary cash.

When EU leaders meet in Brussels at the end of March, the conversation over how Europe should subsidise its green transition will clash with the discussion over the reform of the bloc's fiscal rules, providing opportunities for a compromise deal.

Eleven European Union countries urged "great caution" in relaxing the bloc's state aid rules in a bid to support Europe's green industry in a global race, saying that risked damaging competition inside the bloc, a document showed.

A new survey found France has one of the most burdensome taxation system for companies, where taxes other than corporate tax represent 3.8% of the country’s GDP in 2021, compared to a 2.5% EU average.

The latest EU Council meeting saw the first steps taken towards a European Green Deal Industrial Plan, and discussions are underway on an as-yet-loosely-defined "Buy European Act". However, not all are welcoming of this new form of green protectionism.

Instead of nagging, the EU should take lessons from the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) by stopping “punishing” its own industries and starting to help them drive decarbonisation, a high-ranking source from Europe’s aluminium sector told EURACTIV.